Competition to further use of DubaiSat-2 data

A competition open to UAE researchers is challenging them to research applications that would use data from DubaiSat-2.

DUBAI // A scientific institution is challenging local researchers with a competition to use data from Dubai’s new satellite.

Would-be competitors could win up to Dh50,000 for their proposals on applications using Earth Observation images from the satellite, DubaiSat-2.

The Remote Sensing Applications Competition is open to students, engineers, researchers and innovators at UAE institutions, the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science and Technology (EIAST) said on Wednesday.

The data’s potential uses are vast, EIAST said. They include land use, land cover, topography, geology, agriculture and forestry, and hydrology.

Satellite data could also be used in oceanography, resource exploration and infrastructure research, as well during disasters, such as forest fires, flooding, landslides and earthquakes.

The contest “is a further step taken by EIAST to promote modern knowledge and advanced scientific techniques”, said Yousuf Al Shaibani, director general of the organisation.

The institution asks for research using only DubaiSat-2 data or in conjunction with data from other sources. Data would be provided to participants after filling out an image-ordering form that will be made available on the EIAST website.

Applicants must define objectives, methods and implementation plans for the project, as well as its means, feasibility and anticipated economic effects.

The third, fourth and fifth-placed entrants receive Dh15,000, the runner-up receives Dh30,000 and the winner Dh50,000.

To register, individuals or teams must fill in the form on the EIAST website, then submit a research proposal by October 15. Documents can be emailed to [e-mail].

The research is due for submission on April 30 next year, with the winner named on May 28.